Towering totem pole-style sculptures created by a ceramics professor at the Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pa., will be featured at the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery at SUNY Fredonia.

“Ceramic Sculptures by Chuck Johnson” opens Friday, Jan. 31 with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gallery, which is located on the main level of the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center. Both the reception and the exhibition are free and open to the public.

This a solo exhibition features Johnson’s large ceramic sculptures, which take the form of totemic stacks reaching six to seven feet in height. These works focus on endangered animals, childlike doll forms and references to petroleum and the oil-burning world.

“A dialog is developed within the sculpture by integrating visual elements with strong metaphorical possibilities,” Johnson said of his works.

The artist received his bachelor’s degree in ceramics from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and his master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12 to 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 12 to 6 and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and during campus breaks.